[BigFatFlip]

Been hitting Dirt Rally 2.0 pretty hard since the weekend. Wow, great game. I was a little skeptical about the "track degradation" feature but it really comes into play. Dirt/gravel surfaces get rutted and pull the car around if you drive over it while tarmac tracks get covered with puddles/mud which make em slippery and cause the car to handle unexpectedly for a split second when you hit it. It really makes you have to process what you see ahead of you compared to what you hear on the pace notes then make a judgement call on where to put the car.

I also like the addition of tire selection and having "levels" of fixes ie quick fix vs repair vs replace. Gives a better level of immersion when in service/not driving.

Track selection is a little disappointing. I miss Monte Carlo (which will be coming as a DLC) and very sad no more Finland (where most of the pace notes say "jump" or "over crest" lol).

The menu can be a little confusing compared to the first Dirt Rally, but maybe just takes some getting used to.

The game handles surprisingly well on the Xbox controller with very little tweaking. Had to play a lot more with settings for the Fanatec wheel set-up. I like having the option of turning up/down individual force feedback coming from impacts, the engine, tires, suspension, etc. I ended up turning down all the impacts but bumping up tires and suspension, which really made it more realistic and allows you to manage understeer or catch the rear end before slipping.

Over all, great game and should take up a good amount of my time in the near future, trying to master the impossible handling and stages.